1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display control apparatus, a display apparatus, and a method for controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the monitor diagnosis, in which a medical viewer is used, is in the mainstream in the image reading (interpretation) site in accordance with the digitization of the medical image. Further, it is necessary that the image reading should be performed for a large number of images in order to perform the diagnosis depending on the modality (for example, CT (computerized tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)), wherein the time, which is required for the image reading, is prolonged as well. Therefore, it is necessary to provide such an image reading method that the image reading can be performed efficiently in the site in which the image reading is required to be performed for a large number of cases (medical cases) within a limited time.
One of the image reading methods is the paging image reading in which the image reading is performed while displaying images of a tomographic image group generated by the modality one by one at a constant speed on a monitor. The paging image reading makes it possible to quickly perform the image reading for a large number of images. Therefore, the paging image reading is the effective means to specify an image in which a lesion candidate exists, from a large number of images (“Radiological Technologist/Radiological Technology No. 38”, planned and issued by Eisai Co., Ltd., edited by Medical Tribune, November 2007 (p. 126-p. 138: Diagnostic Process in Chest CT, written by Masaki HARA)).
As for the setting of the image play speed during the paging image reading, a medical doctor (physician or image reading doctor), who performs the image reading, previously performs the input from the screen of a viewer to carry out the setting, on condition that his/her image reading ability is taken into consideration.
A technique is known to carry out the paging image reading as described above more efficiently. That is, a technique is disclosed, in which the image reading time for the entire tomographic image group is shortened by quickening or advancing the image play speed for portions in which any lesion candidate is not present (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-252763).
Further, a technique is disclosed, in which the image play speed is changed for an interval that is marking-designated by an image reading doctor, irrelevant to the presence or absence of any lesion candidate (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-128098).